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Vocal
Overview Vocal is the means by which people communicate with one another through speech. How people vary their speech patterns imply different meanings. The ability to project one’s voice, using different qualities to change or amplify the expression. Definition Vocal communication is the oldest form of communication, dating back as far as recorded history. The first substantial history around vocal delivery comes from the time of the Greeks, when public forums required public speaking. Greek scholars such as Plato, Aristotle, and Sophocles would travel around the land, giving courses on public discourse and how to properly speak to both crowds and individuals. Since then, speech has evolved and changed in how it is interpreted. Various definitions and explanations of vocal communication can be found in Jody Shipka’s "Sound Engineering," Cynthia Selfe’s "The Movement of Air, the Breath of Meaning" and "Ira Glass on Storytelling." The vocal delivery of an individual changes the context in which a statement is portrayed. The concept of editing one's vocal delivery is an example of sound engineering, or designing an piece of audio to better fit its purpose. While sound engineering usually refers to the work of recording and editing digital sound bytes, vocal delivery is an example of engineering a sound in a more basic way. (Evans, 19) ' ' Examples The easiest example of vocal communication is found whenever two people talk to one another. This can include a teacher instructing a class, two people talking on the street or a group of friends trying to talk over one another. Meaning and implications can be determined based on the tone and pitch in which communication is given. Several things can affect the meaning of vocal communications. These include, but are not limited to: · Pitch – How high or low someone’s voice is. · Volume – How loud or quietly someone is talking. · Tone – The quality of someone’s voice. This can mean either someone is speaking gently, or harshly. It is less easily definable, and is entirely subjective based on the individual. · Pace – How quickly someone is talking. · Word Choice – The specific words people choose to communicate with can create deeper meanings. Some words may be better suited than others to achieve certain goals. Body Language - While not a direct form of vocal communication, body language can add great depth and meaning to the words one says. Other less obvious forms of vocal communication include podcasts (such as NPR), music, poetry, and theatre. Resources and Related Readings This TED Talks gives a more thorough break down of the various forms of speech and vocal delivery. ' ' The video below demonstrates how different emphasis and interpretation of the same words can create entirely different meanings and emotions. Sound Engineering by Jody Shipka - In this article, Shipka discusses the various elements of multimodal presentations and what can make an argument effective. The 'soundness' of presentations is also discussed, as in, is a presentation constructed with thought and consideration to the various elements being added. The Movement of Air, the Breath of Meaning - Here, Selfe goes into detail on the various elements of media presentations, from visual to aural. “Ira Glass on Storytelling.” In the following videos, Ira glass discusses how to keep an audience's attention when telling a story, and the various tools a story teller can use to ensure audience attention is maintained. Part 1- Part 2- Part 3- Part 4- Examples: There are many diverse ways to change one’s voice. When I think of vocal delivery, I tend to think about poetry and theater. In poetry, people might go for a more dark aspect, and use monotone voice and drastic pauses. For theater, actors and actresses need to emphasize every word they use, projecting their voice and dramatically changing the looks on their faces so that the entire audience will understand what is going on. Morgan Freeman: http://youtu.be/KtwXlIwozog?t=50s JFK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DbhTwahqPg James Earl Jones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwB7fRI-jp8 Robin Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr2bKXBV67o Specific vocal delivery can even remind us of someone else's voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC8oTvmTFcg Related Keywords ' 'Story Telling Sonic Rhetoric Sonic Persuasion Aurality Visual Sound Citations Evans, Janet. Literacy Moves On: Using Popular Culture, New Technologies and Critical Literacy in the Primary Classroom. London: David Fulton, 2004. Print.